Overview
- The Congolese army said it took control of Uvira on Sunday after M23 announced a pullout, with troops and Wazalendo militia now deployed as patrols continued and sporadic gunfire was reported by residents.
- Human Rights Watch reported widespread looting after the withdrawal, geolocating thefts at public buildings and a church, citing numerous injuries, and investigating reports of civilian killings.
- HRW said some Banyamulenge families left the city with M23 over fear of reprisals, while Congo’s defense minister affirmed they should not be forcibly displaced and should feel free to return.
- Local accounts described Wazalendo fighters blocking escape routes and a still-closed Burundi border, even as the South Kivu governor indicated the Gatumba crossing would reopen soon.
- M23 framed its exit as a unilateral trust-building step requested by the U.S.; Congo, the U.S. and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing the rebels, which Kigali denies, and officials cite more than 1,500 deaths and about 300,000 newly displaced within a broader crisis of over 7 million displaced.